Hybrid separating membrane for a battery

Abstract

A hybrid separating membrane made of a composite material including a non-porous polymer matrix and particles of an ionically conductive inorganic material dispersed in the polymer matrix, to the use of such a membrane as separator in an electrical energy storage system, as well as to a system for storing electrical energy, especially an electrochemical accumulator such as a lithium or sodium secondary battery (rechargeable) comprising at least one such separating membrane.

1 - 16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . A hybrid separating membrane for an electrical energy storage system, said membrane comprising an organic phase and an inorganic phase, said inorganic phase being dispersed within the organic phase, wherein:
 the organic phase is a non-porous polymer matrix that is impermeable to the electrolyte solvents,   the inorganic phase consists of a set of particles of at least one ionically conductive inorganic material;   the particles of said at least one inorganic material are dispersed in said polymer matrix,   the polymer matrix is provided in the form of a film having a thickness,   the particles of said inorganic material have at least one smallest dimension and at least one largest dimension, said at least one largest dimension being greater than or equal to the thickness of the polymer matrix, and   the two faces of the membrane are ionically connected to one another either by means of a single particle of inorganic material, or by means of at least two particles of inorganic material in contact with each other.   
     
     
         18 . The membrane according to  claim 17 , wherein the thickness of said membrane is between 3 and 20 μm, inclusive. 
     
     
         19 . The membrane according to  claim 17 , wherein the at least one smallest dimension of the particles of said inorganic material is between 3 and 15 μm, inclusive. 
     
     
         20 . The membrane according to  claim 17 , wherein the particles of the inorganic material are oriented within the polymer matrix such that the axis passing through their at least one largest dimension is substantially perpendicular to the thickness of said membrane. 
     
     
         21 . The membrane according to  claim 17 , wherein the inorganic material is selected from lithium ion conducting ceramics, lithium ion or sodium ion conducting glasses, and sodium ion conducting ceramics. 
     
     
         22 . The membrane according to  claim 21 , wherein the lithium ion conducting ceramics are selected from the group consisting of Li 2 ZrSi 6 O 15 , Li 7 La 3 Zr 2 O 12 ,  7 (PO 4 ) 3 , LiAlGe 2 (PO 4 ) 3  ceramics, and the ceramics with chemical formula Li 2+2x Zn 1−x GeO 4  and derivatives thereof. 
     
     
         23 . The membrane according to  claim 17 , wherein the particles of said inorganic material are provided in the form of fibers or rods. 
     
     
         24 . The membrane according to  claim 17 , wherein the non-porous polymer matrix is non-ionically conductive and in that it contains at least one non-ionically conductive polymer preferably selected from the polyolefins, halogenated polymers, epichlorohydrin homopolymers and copolymers, polyurethanes, styrene homopolymers and copolymers, vinyl polymers, polysaccharides, cellulose derivatives and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         25 . The membrane according to  claim 17 , wherein the non-porous polymer matrix is ionically conductive and in that the polymer matrix comprises at least one ionically conductive polymer. 
     
     
         26 . The membrane according to  claim 17 , wherein the membrane contains one or more salt(s) such as a lithium salt or a sodium salt and/or one or several organic solvent(s). 
     
     
         27 . A method of assembling an electrical energy storage system operating by circulation of lithium or sodium ions, comprising combining the hybrid separating membrane as defined in  claim 17  as an electrode separator with at least one positive electrode, at least one negative electrode, and at least one electrolyte. 
     
     
         28 . An electrical energy storage system operating by circulation of lithium ions or sodium ions, said system comprising at least one positive electrode, at least one negative electrode, and at least one separator provided between said electrodes, wherein said separator is a hybrid separating membrane as defined in  claim 17 . 
     
     
         29 . The electrical energy storage system according to  claim 28 , wherein said system comprises at least one positive electrode, at least one negative electrode, at least two electrolytes, and at least one separator provided between said electrolytes, said at least one separator being said hybrid separating membrane. 
     
     
         30 . The electrical energy storage system according to  claim 28 , wherein said system is a lithium battery. 
     
     
         31 . The electrical energy storage system according to  claim 29 , wherein said system comprises an assembly of at least one positive electrode, at least one electrolyte film, at least one hybrid separating membrane, at least one second electrolyte film, and at least one negative electrode, said separating membrane being inserted between the two electrolyte films. 
     
     
         32 . The electrical energy storage system according to  claim 29 , wherein a first electrolyte of the at least two electrolytes has a chemical composition different from a chemical composition of a second electrolyte of the at least two electrolytes.